The curious case of 2018 iPhone trio: What to believe and what not to

The audience assembles before the start of Apple's annual developer conference in San Jose, California, U.S. June 5, 2017REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File Photo

Apple must have its hands full with the upcoming WWDC 2018 event next week, but there's no taking a break from the rumours about the company's fall event. The biggest annual event is scheduled for sometime in September, where the Cupertino-based tech giant will launch new iPhones, and this year there will be three of them with significant upgrades.

We have already heard a great deal about the upcoming 2018 iPhone trio, which is said to be inspired heavily by the current-gen iPhone X. One of the three new iPhones has been expected to focus on the budget aspect with toned-down specs while the other two will target premium shoppers.

Even though it is established that all three iPhones coming later this year will borrow iPhone X-like bezel-less edge-to-edge display with a notch, there have been contradictions about other features. Let's look at the curious case of 2018 iPhones as new stories unfold much before the official debut.

OLED, OLED, OLED!

Apple shifted from LCD to OLED last year and the move couldn't be lauded further. But the iPhone 8 series still remained on LCD panels while Apple decided OLED is meant only for the top-notch iPhone X. But new reports suggest a standardisation of OLED across all iPhone models.

According to South Korea's Economic times, Apple could use OLED panels on all three 2018 iPhone models, including the cheaper iPhone 9 (aka iPhone X 2018) that was earlier expected to have LCD panel to keep the price in check.

There's no information on how this decision will affect the pricing of the cheapest 6.1-inch iPhone, but it will certainly impact Apple's display provider, Japan Display.

"If Apple uses OLED for all models for next year, that could raise hopes for LG Display to take a slice, as Apple may want to diversify its sources for OLED supply," Lee Won-sik, an analyst at Shinyoung Securities in Seoul, was quoted as saying, according to Reuters.

It is widely reported that the premium iPhones, 5.8-inch iPhone X successor and 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus will both feature OLED display. Rumours are rife with details about the 2018 iPhones coming with camera sensors and Face ID setup on the notch.

It's not clear how Apple is going to differentiate its 6.1-inch iPhone X from the expensive duo.

Balancing between iPhone X – iPhone 5C

But let's not jump to conclusions just yet.

There's another report making the rounds about Apple's decision to use LCD panels in its 6.1-inch iPhone X successor. But the company could have another distinct differentiator to set apart its cheaper iPhone from the higher-end models.

Apple could borrow an idea from its older iPhone 5C, the lively colours in particular, for the cheaper iPhone X successor, Rosenblatt analyst Jun Zhang suggested earlier this month. But the handset will still maintain a premium touch with its glass back, edge-to-edge display, FaceID, wireless charging and more.

As for the colours, there could be blue, yellow and pink hues in the 2018 iPhone models.

If the rumours are true, the cheapest iPhone could be priced around $550, while the higher-end models could breach the $1,000 mark. This will give consumers an option to choose the right iPhone based on their budget.

Stay tuned for more updates on new iPhones and Apple's upcoming WWDC 2018 event.